Head of Radiological Protection Engineering

Rolls-Royce SMR

East Midlands

Hybrid

GBP 86,000 - 112,000

Full time

6 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Bonus up to 20%

Benefits Allowance £8,500 per year

Pension – 12% employer and 6% employee

Holidays – 29 days (+ PH)

Private Medical Insurance

Life Assurance – 6× pensionable pay

Home Office Support – £250 one-off

Job summary

Rolls‑Royce SMR is seeking a Head of Radiological Protection Engineering to provide strategic and technical leadership across radiological disciplines for a licensable and commercially successful SMR product. You will grow a ~40‑strong team and align engineering with safety, licensing and regulatory requirements.

The role requires steering capability development, governance, and engagement with regulators and customers, while delivering high‑quality, cost‑effective engineering solutions across

Qualifications

Degree in Physics, Engineering, Mathematics or related field.
Chartered Physicist, Chartered Engineer, Chartered Scientist or equivalent professional registration.
Significant experience within the nuclear industry.
Demonstrable experience of technical leadership and line management.

Responsibilities

Act as the overall technical authority for radiological engineering and analysis across Rolls‑Royce SMR.
Lead the Radiation Protection Engineering, Severe Accident Analysis, Radiological Consequences Analysis and Radiation Physics & Shielding Analysis teams.
Define and deliver the long‑term strategic direction for the radiological engineering function.
Develop capability roadmaps, organisational structures and succession plans.
Ensure technical outputs are delivered to appropriate quality, cost and schedule expectations.
Lead regulatory engagement activities and provide technical representation to external stakeholders.

Skills

Technical leadership

Strategic planning

People management

Regulatory engagement

Nuclear safety

Education

Degree in Physics/Engineering/Mathematics

Chartered physicist/engineer/scientist or equivalent

Job description

Role Title: Head of Radiological Protection Engineering

We are Rolls‑Royce SMR and we’re doing something that’s never been done before. We’re revolutionising an industry. That’s a once‑in‑a‑career opportunity for those excited by such a challenge. This is more than just a job; this is a legacy.

About the Team:

The Performance & Analysis team is the centre of excellence within Rolls‑Royce SMR for the engineering analysis used to substantiate the performance and safety of the power station.

The Head of Radiological Protection Engineering leads a group of specialist disciplines that are fundamental to the safety, licensing and operation of the SMR power station, including:

Radiation Protection Engineering
Severe Accident Analysis
Radiological Consequences Analysis
Radiation Physics & Shielding Analysis

Together, these teams provide the technical expertise, analysis and safety substantiation required to support design development, regulatory engagement and programme delivery across the SMR business.

About the Role:

As Head of Radiological Protection Engineering, you will provide strategic, technical, programme and organisational leadership for all radiological engineering disciplines within Rolls‑Royce SMR.

You will be responsible for developing and implementing the long‑term vision, capability strategy and organisational structure for the radiological engineering function, ensuring the business possesses the skills, tools, methodologies and governance arrangements necessary to deliver a licensable and commercially successful product.

This role combines senior technical authority with organisational leadership. You will be accountable for the quality of engineering solutions delivered across the function, the delivery of work to multiple programmes, and the growth and development of approximately 40 engineers, specialists and technical leaders.

You will work closely with engineering leadership, regulators, customers and industry bodies, providing direction on radiological protection, shielding, severe accident analysis and radiological consequence assessment while ensuring these disciplines operate as a cohesive and high‑performing organisation.

We’ll Need You To:

Act as the overall technical authority for radiological engineering and analysis across Rolls‑Royce SMR
Lead the Radiation Protection Engineering, Severe Accident Analysis, Radiological Consequences Analysis and Radiation Physics & Shielding Analysis teams
Define and deliver the long‑term strategic direction for the radiological engineering function
Develop capability roadmaps, organisational structures and succession plans
Ensure technical outputs are delivered to appropriate quality, cost and schedule expectations
Lead the development of relevant elements of the E3S case and associated supporting documentation
Support Generic Design Assessment (GDA), licensing activities and customer programmes
Provide technical leadership across complex safety, licensing and engineering challenges
Establish and maintain strong interfaces with Layout, Reactor Systems, Core Design, Licensing, Environmental Protection and Operations teams
Lead regulatory engagement activities and provide technical representation to external stakeholders
Act as deputy to the Head of Power Station Performance & Analysis Capability when required
Promote a strong nuclear safety culture throughout the organisation
Develop and mentor engineering leaders, technical specialists and future capability areas

Key Skills Required:

We know there’s no such thing as the ‘perfect’ candidate. If you meet around 75% of the criteria below, we’d love to hear from you:

Functional & Strategic Leadership

Ability to act as the recognised technical authority for radiological engineering and analysis
Experience defining long‑term technical strategies and capability roadmaps
Ability to balance programme delivery with capability growth and organisational development
Experience identifying future skills, methods, toolsets and organisational needs
Ability to lead experts, managers and specialists while maintaining strategic oversight

Organisational Management & Development

Proven experience leading large technical organisations through managers and technical specialists
Experience recruiting, developing and mentoring highly skilled engineering teams
Ability to build and maintain a high‑performance engineering culture
Experience managing organisational growth and technical capability expansion

Programme Delivery & Technical Governance

Significant experience delivering complex engineering programmes to cost, schedule and quality requirements
Experience prioritising resources across multiple programmes and competing demands
Deep understanding of technical governance, assurance, review and approval processes
Experience acting as an intelligent customer for externally delivered technical services
Ability to challenge technical assumptions and ensure robust engineering conclusions

Nuclear Safety & Licensing

Strong understanding of nuclear safety principles and defence‑in‑depth concepts
Experience leading regulatory engagements and supporting nuclear licensing activities
Ability to ensure radiological engineering considerations are appropriately integrated into engineering decisions
Experience developing robust nuclear safety cases supported by analysis and evidence
Knowledge of regulatory frameworks beyond the UK would be beneficial

Capability Development

Experience developing engineering capability across people, processes and toolsets
Proven ability to establish and implement best‑practice analysis methodologies
Track record of driving efficiency, consistency and quality improvements across engineering functions

Qualifications:

Degree qualified in Physics, Engineering, Mathematics or a related discipline
Chartered Physicist, Chartered Engineer, Chartered Scientist or equivalent professional registration
Significant experience within the nuclear industry
Demonstrable experience of technical leadership and line management

The following would be advantageous:

Postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline
Experience supporting GDA, licensing or regulator‑facing programmes
Experience in radiation protection, shielding, accident analysis, reactor physics or safety case development
Experience leading capability development within a growing organisation
Experience managing and scaling teams through organisational growth

Location:

Hybrid working with one of the following as your primary site:

Derby, Manchester or Warrington.

Salary and Package:

The salary band for this role will be between £85,600 – £112,350 dependent on the skills, values and knowledge you bring. There may be flexibility in exceptional cases, reflecting the scale and strategic importance of the role.

Benefits include:

Bonus – Performance‑related target opportunity up to 20%
Benefits Allowance – £8,500 per annum for a bespoke package
Pension – 12% employer and 6% employee contributions
Holidays – 29 days (+ public holidays) with the ability to buy or sell up to 5 days
Private Medical Insurance – BUPA single cover
Life Assurance – 6× pensionable pay
Home Office Support – £250 one‑off payment for new starters

You’ll be joining a forward‑thinking organisation that values transparency, fairness and innovation. We offer a flexible, inclusive and supportive working environment, opportunities for growth in a rapidly scaling business, and a culture that values diversity, continuous learning and engineering excellence.

Selection Process:

The closing date for this role is 23rd October 2026. The process will begin with an introductory call with the Talent Acquisition Partner, with interviews being able to take place straight away.

Pay Range:

£85,600.00

£112,350.00

Why Join Us?

You’ll be joining a forward-thinking organisation that values transparency, fairness, and innovation. We offer:

A flexible, inclusive, and supportive working environment.
Opportunities for career growth in a rapidly scaling business.
A culture that values diversity, innovation, and continuous learning.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Inclusivity is important to us, and as a Disability Confident organisation, we are committed to fair, supportive, and continually improving recruitment practices that ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. But we’ll let you in on a secret: there’s no such thing as a ‘perfect’ candidate. If you feel you meet 75% of the requirements for this role, we would love to hear from you.

Our Application Process

Due to the safety regulations within the nuclear industry, applicants will be required to participate in additional screening. These are: